Goal[edit | edit source]
The goal of this project was to create a usable mini chess set that is magnetic using materials I already had.
Construction[edit | edit source]
Note[edit | edit source]
Originally when starting this project I had no intentions of making it public, so the models for the pieces and board are not parametric. The magnets are also hard to find. In the future I may re-design it so that the model can be easily made with different more common magnet dimensions as well as making the size of the set adjustable.
Materials[edit | edit source]
- 3mm diameter magnets
- FDM 3D printer
- PLA filament
- black paint
- Resin printer
- Resin
- resin dye
- super glue
Board[edit | edit source]
The board was designed in Fusion 360. It is 11cm by 11cm with an 8 by 8 grid. Each square is chamfered to create a clear distinction between squares. Each has a half sphere indent on top, and a cylinder hole on the bottom. It was printed on an Ender 3 FDM printer. The magnets were press fit into the bottom holes, 2 magnets were held on the other side to ensure the magnetic poles were in the right direction. Afterwards the top part of the board was sanded and painted black on alternating squares.
Pieces[edit | edit source]
I wanted to ensure that the set of pieces had a cohesive look. I made sure each piece had the correct height and base diameter relative to each other. Once all of them were designed, I printed them in 2 batches on an anycubic resin printer. The first with white resin, then the next with dark grey resin. After washing and curing, I superglued 2 magnets into each piece, using the finished board to make sure the poles were pointing the the right direction. Finally I put a clear coat of nail polish on the bottom of each piece to add an extra layer of protection from wear and tear.
Results and Next Steps[edit | edit source]
The chess board achieved the goal of being small and usable. The pieces stay on the board even when turned upside down, while being easy to move and give a tactile feel when playing. The resin printer provided each piece with fine details, giving a polished look.
The next steps for this project would be to design a carrying case to make the set easily portable, with a magnetic strip beside the board to place pieces that are not in play.
